How to Electronically File Patent Applications with the USPTO

Go to File Online link at the USPTO website to reach the page titled ‘About EFS-Web’.

Go to Launch EFS-Web Unregistered eFiler to reach the page titled ‘Welcome to Electronic Patent Filing for UNREGISTERED eFILERS’

a.       Fill in the details and proceed with the ‘New Application’ option in ‘Main Functions’

b.      Subsequently, select ‘Utility’ and ‘Provisional’ options  (User may select non-provisional  application if they don’t intend to file a provisional patent application)

c.       Click ‘Continue’ to reach the page titled ‘Application Data’

Fill in the details

d.      ‘Attorney Docket Number’ can be alphanumeric. You may leave this field empty as well.

e.      For ‘Correspondence address’, please select correspondence address option and fill all the details and continue to next page titled ‘Attach Documents’.

Verify the details and upload the documents. To upload the documents, please note:

f.        The files should be in .pdf or .txt format

g.       No spaces are allowed in file name

h.      Upload the following three documents accordingly:

                                                               i.      Specification and Abstract

1.       Upload the file name

2.       Choose ‘Application Part’ option and select ‘Yes’ for the question asking ‘whether the file contain multiple documents?’

3.       Choose specification in second column and mention page numbers in third columns (Page start and page end)

4.       Choose abstract in second column and mention page number (i.e. the last page) in third columns (Page start and page end)

                                                             ii.      Drawings

1.       Upload the file name

2.       Choose ‘Application Part’ option and select ‘No’ for the question asking ‘whether the file contain multiple documents?’

3.       Choose drawings in last column

                                                            iii.      Provisional Cover Sheet

1.       Upload the file named ‘Provisional Cover Sheet’

2.       Choose ‘Application Part’ option and select ‘No’ for the question asking ‘whether the file contain multiple documents?’

3.       Choose ‘Provisional Cover Sheet’ in last column

i.         After uploading all the three files, click on ‘Upload and Validate’

Thereafter, you will reach a page titled ‘Calculate Fees’

j.        Change ‘Current Business Size’ to ‘Small Entity’. (Confused whether you are a small entity or not. Click here)

k.       Fill the ‘Number of Pages’ box with the total number of pages in Drawings, Specification and Abstract

l.         Click on ‘Calculate’ and then ‘Continue’ to reach next page titled ‘Submit Application’

Verify all the information and click on ‘Submit’

Upon submission, please note down the following details as provided by the USPTO

m.    Application Number

n.      Confirmation Number

o.      EFS ID

p.      Continue to ‘Yes! I want to pay now’

Choose the method of payment based on your convenience and proceed with the payment accordingly.